The Kerala LDF government today came under attack over police 'high-handedness' against a mother seeking justice for her late son, who allegedly had killed himself following harassment by college authorities.
The arch rival BJP and Congress joined ranks to take on the CPI(M)-led government after the late 18-year-old student Jishnu Prannoy's parents, seeking to sit on a hunger-strike in front of the state police chief's office here were dragged away from the site and arrested.
Mahija and Ashokan, parents of first year student at a private engineering college, had come here from Kozhikode to sit on an indefinite fast against the alleged delay in booking of all the accused in connection with their son's death.
The state capital witnessed high drama in front of the DGP's office as police evicted Jishnu's parents from the site and arrested them without letting them meet the DGP.
Jishnu's maternal uncle alleged the police kicked him and assaulted his sister Mahija, Jishnu's mother, who lay on the road and protested.
The incident took a political turn, with various parties, including the Congress-led UDF and the BJP condemning the incident and calling for a state-wide hartal tomorrow.
Reacting to the incident, ChiefMinister Pinarayi Vijayan said a group of persons other than the family members had tried to gain entry to the DGP's office, which resulted in a commotion and the mother fell on the road.
A self-styled godman was also among them, he said.
However, he said IGP Manoj Abraham has been asked to give a report on what exactly had happened.
Mahija and her brother were admitted to the Trivandrum medical college hospital after they complained of uneasiness and body pain.
On the chief minister's directives, the DGP met Mahija at the hospital.
Today's development could not have come at a more inopportune time for the LDF as the Malappuram bypoll is to be held on April 12.
Expressing his displeasure, CPI(M) veteran V S Achuthanandan called up DGP Loknath Behra and spoke to him.
While Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said he was "pained" at the government failure to understand the sorrow of a mother who had lost her son, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy termed the police action as 'shameful.'
BJP state president Kummanam Rajashekaran said the 'police brutality' seen today was worse than what happened during the Emergency.
"The Pinarayi government will be washed away in the tears of the mother," he said.
Various youth organisations and women's outfits took out marches and protested across the state.
Jishnu, a first year student of the Nehru College of Engineering in Thrissur, was found hanging in the college hostel in January following alleged harassments by college authorities.
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